Puzzle



(No Model.)

C. N. ROBINSON.

PUZZLE.

N Patented Nov. 7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.l

CHARLESN. ROBINSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,245, dated November 7, 1893.

Application led March 21, 1893. Serial No. 466,989. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Puzzles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which* Figure 1 is a plan View of an apparatus embodying my invention, the cover being removed. Fig. 2 is afull transverse section, as on the line x w, Fig. 1.

The nature of this invention is a puzzle or game apparatus comprising a suitable base or box, provided with a series of successively communicating trackways which terminate in a common final inclosure, or station, in 'combination with a series of balls or spheres contained within the trackways, and designed, by proper manipulation of the base or box, to be collected, in a certain prescribed order, in the said inclosure or station.

Referring to the annexed drawings, the numeral 1 marks a base board, which may constitute the bottom ot' a shallow box, of any desired form.v To this base is securedacircular wall, 2, within which the trackways are formed by means of suitably disposed vertical strips, 3. The iirst or initial trackway, 4, is formed by the wall 2 and the adjacent concentric wall 5. This trackway has an opening, 6, therein, which communicates with two diverging trackways, 7, that terminate in a semi-circular portion, 8. Extending radially from the latter isatrackway or alley, 9, that leads to a central inclosure, or station, l0, which is preferably curved approximately to a rainbow.

The numeral 11, represents balls or spherical objects, adapted to roll freely within and throughout the trackways, when the device is suitably tipped from the horizontal position. These objects are designed to be placed promiscuously in the outer trackway, 4, and then, by the manipulation of the base, to be collected in a predetermined orderin the central inclosure, or station, l0. There are preferably seven balls, colored correspondingly with. the rainbow, that is, one ball red, another orange, another yellow, and so on, to include the seven standard colors. Near the edge of the outer wall of the central station, or rainbow, as it may be termed, as for instance, upon the base, are printed letters, indicating these colors, thus R. O. Y., dac.; the object of the puzzle being to collect in the rainbow station the differently colored balls, in the order prescribed by said letters. See dotted lines in Fig. 1.

' I remark that instead of indicating the colors by the letters R. O. Y., &c., the spots or stripes of the several colors may be used fora like purpose. It will be seen that by arranging the two diverging trackways so that the apex of the inner wall thereof is directly opposite the opening 6, the balls, upon entering the opening impinge against said. apex and are deflected thereby into either of the trackways 7. This necessitates skillful manipulation of the device in order to direct the ball or balls to the right or left hand trackway, as occasion may require.

I claim,- l,

The game or puzzle apparatus, comprising the base provided with the outer circular trackway, the diverging and semi-circular trackway communicating -therewith by an opening opposite the apex of the inner wall of the diverging trackways, and the central inclosure or station communicating with the semi-circular way, in combination with a series of balls suitably distinguished from each other and adapted to be collected in a prescribed order in the inclosure or station, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES N. ROBINSON.

Witn esses:

ANDREW ZANE, H.k ALEORD BoGGs. 

